In the Vendee Globe, it has been a frustrating, very busy night for Mike Golding on Gamesa currently lying in eighth place, chasing Jérémie Beyou on Maitre CoQ who is 32 miles ahead in seventh but over 200 miles to his west as he races 125 miles SWW of the west side of Canary Islands.

It’s going to be a long, challenging day...

'We are in the Doldrums…..well not exactly…but it feels like it. There have been some big wind shifts, bit changes in wind strength and I have a line of rain coming towards me now, I am not sure what it is bringing me.

'The good thing I suppose is that I have never stopped, but I did end up spending a couple of hours going upwind. I have had to cross the trough somewhere and so it is a little narrower here but I would prefer to be over where the others are. The files showed the breeze should have been lifting me and so to have ended up upwind is a bit frustrating.

'I had a little problem with the halyards earlier when I put the genoa up and it did not go in the lock properly so I got a bit of a rope burn on my hands.

'It seems like my course has been a series of steps, like a sawtooth really but that is just what I have had. I’m going to try to hook to the west as the day goes on but I think I’ll be in this light stuff for most of the day. It’s a bit frustrating.

'I feel so sorry for Sam [Davies who was dismasted last night on Saveol, but is safe and unhurt]. Is she ok? She was right in the worst of it at the wrong time. A great shame for her and the race.'